Music

Mehdi Hassan Khan (18 July 1927 – 13 June 2012), known as Mehdi Hassan, was a Pakistani ghazal singer and playback singer of great renown. Known as Shahenshah-e-Ghazal (“Emperor of Ghazal”), he is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential figures in the history of ghazal singing. Known for his “haunting” baritone voice, Hassan is credited with bringing ghazal singing to a worldwide audience. He is unique for his melodic patterns and maintaining integrity of the ragas in an innovative way.

It is estimated that Hassan sang for over 300 films during his career. For his contributions to the arts, Hassan was awarded the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Pride of Performance, and Hilal-e-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan.